Vehicles need transmissions to in order to transform torques and speeds. The task of a vehicle transmission is to convert the traction force potential of a drive engine. The present invention concerns a method for operating an automatic transmission. In the context of this invention the term automatic transmission should be understood to mean any transmission with an automatic gear change, also known as an automatic variable-speed transmission.
In the development of automatic transmissions a continual trend can be observed of increasing the number of gears, particularly the forward gears of an automatic transmission. Thus, at present automatic transmissions with eight forward gears and one reverse gear are being developed, such automatic transmissions having at least five shift elements, and in an automatic transmission of this type at least three of these at least five shift elements are engaged for torque transfer and force transfer in any forward gear and in a reverse gear. In a gear engagement from a neutral position to a forward gear or a reverse gear in such an automatic transmission, the torque or force transfer must be established safely and gently. Until now, however, no methods have been known for operating such automatic transmissions, which ensure safe and gentle gear engagement.
Against this background, the present invention addresses the problem of providing a new type of method for operating an automatic transmission.